Over the past 25 years, Dr. Faris Sabbah has served as county deputy superintendent, county assistant superintendent, university professor, director, assistant principal, teacher, and instructional aide. He obtained his bachelor’s in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz, his masters in Educational Leadership from San Jose State University, and his doctorate in Leadership for Educational Equity from UC Berkeley.

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As County Superintendent of Schools at the County Office of Education, Faris plays a critical role in supporting the creation of safe and supportive learning environments for all students. This is achieved by working with school district superintendents to set the overarching academic goals for the county’s public education system and support specific efforts to help students achieve those aims.

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He carries a deep sense of urgency to disrupt inequitable practices. He is committed to partnering with districts and other organizations to create a network of support that propel our students to achieve and thrive.

Dr. Sabbah is committed to the values of diversity, equity and inclusion as he helps lead the evolution of the County Office of Education in addressing the needs of students, districts, and the community. His top priorities are to support students and districts by expanding the COE presence throughout the county, engage the community through an ambitious communication plan, develop a data-driven culture of improvement, create safe spaces for all students, and build programs and opportunities that uplift the voices of students.

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Personal biography

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Faris Sabbah was born in Iraq to a multi-racial / multi-cultural family. At the age of nine, his family immigrated to the Bay Area to escape the Iran/Iraq War, then relocated to his mother’s native country of Ecuador when he was eleven. Faris returned to California in 1989 to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz. While there, he worked as an instructional aide at Aptos High School. He shared a deep connection with students who were also immigrants and language learners. It was then he decided to become a teacher. He has lived in Santa Cruz County ever since.

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Faris is a board member for Salud Para La Gente, Migration and Adaptation in the Americas, and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association. He is a member of Watsonville Rotary. He currently chairs the the Statewide Student Programs and Services Steering Committee (SPSSC) to develop communication, common understanding, and improved programs across all student services provided by county offices of education to school districts and communities. Formerly, he was a Santa Cruz First Five Commissioner, Board member of the Santa Cruz County Credit Union, and a member of the Middle East Interfaith Dialogue Group.

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Faris has received several recognitions including the “Premio Ohtli” Award in 2004 for advocacy on behalf of the Mexican and Mexican-American community by the Mexican Consulate in San Jose, CA. He was selected as the California Migrant Education Administrator of the Year by The Fresno County Office of Education in 2007. He was also honored by the Community Assessment Project of Santa Cruz County as a “Community Hero in Education” in 2013 for assisting students in graduating with the skills and knowledge required to compete in a 21st century global economy.

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Faris is married to Dr. Blanca Baltazar-Sabbah who is an administrator in the Salinas Union High School District. They have two children who attend charter schools in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District